1 Introduction
1.1 PURPOSE OF PROJECT
MAF Policy has identified operational research objectives relating to facilitating resource management that include the desire to:
‘provide environmental indicators or reporting systems for monitoring soil quality, water quality, air quality, biodiversity and energy use.’
MAF Policy is funding a series of projects aimed at meeting these objectives.
The principal objective of this project, which is the first in a series of projects relating specifically to irrigation, was:
To identify a series of indicators that farmers can use to measure the sustainability of irrigation as a farming activity.
The indicators developed in this project will be used in a second project funded by MAF Policy, which involves the preparation of "Best Management Guidelines (BMGs) for Irrigation" that outlines ways to use the sustainability indicators for improving the management of irrigation systems. Field testing of the indicators and BMGs will follow in subsequent projects.
The project considered the concept of sustainability from an irrigation perspective and aimed to provide farmers with a means to measure and report on the sustainability of their irrigation management practices. Sustainability of farming practices is important from many perspectives. While it is the aim of most farmers to make a profit, it is essential to recognise that to do this, environmental and social targets must also be met. Sustainability goals for the environmental, social and economic aspects of farming that are affected, either directly or indirectly by irrigation, needed to be defined. A series of indicators, which measure a farm’s performance in relation to the sustainability goals, were then developed.
Farmers make decisions, such as how frequently to irrigate, or which type of irrigation system to install, by balancing social, economic and environmental concerns. Indicators are a means of documenting the results of these decisions, and provide a way of measuring progress towards meeting farmers’ goals or towards satisfying regulatory constraints. Feedback from indicators can be used to continually improve the sustainability of farming practices and to demonstrate the sustainability of farming practices to regulatory authorities.
The output of the project is a set of indicators which:
- Reflect the sustainability issues that are important to farmers;
- Relate to irrigation;
- Are measurable by farmers;
- Are useful to regional and local councils; and
- Are consistent with other New Zealand programmes that have developed indicators of sustainability.
1.2 APPROACH
This project considered the following:
- The relevance of sustainability to irrigated agriculture;
- A description of indicators as a concept;
- Criteria for selecting indicators;
- The issues associated with possible indicators; and
- Indicator selection and justification for selection.
An initial set of indicators was reviewed at a workshop by a group of people who could ultimately be involved in using the indicators; farmers, soil scientists, regional council representatives, and agricultural and irrigation consultants. Workshop participants were asked to comment on the appropriateness and practicality of the indicators. As a result of the discussions, the recommended set of indicators was revised.
1.3 WHY IS SUSTAINABILITY NECESSARY?
Sustaining agriculture in New Zealand depends on the long-term financial viability of farming businesses. For farmers, maintaining long-term viability requires:
- Maintaining or improving the resources;
- Meeting legislative requirements (predominantly resource consents); and
- Adjusting to international and domestic market demands.
MAF Policy believe that to maintain the future viability of farming, farmers must be able to demonstrate that they are farming in a sustainable manner, that they are making informed and responsible management decisions, and that they understand and take responsibility for those decisions.
Irrigation impacts on the overall sustainability of a farm because it affects many aspects of farming including economics, labour and energy requirements, crop production, soil quality and agrichemical and fertiliser use. Because it requires water abstraction from a water source, irrigation also has a double impact on a water resource. The first impact is on the water source itself and the ecosystems and other uses it supports. The second is on the receiving water, which is usually groundwater, but includes any water bodies that receive runoff from irrigation. All these impacts of irrigation are inter-related.
Sustainable management of New Zealand’s resources is, and will continue to be, a primary aim of legislation and government policies relating to agricultural land use. Sustainable management is the major focus of the Resource Management Act (1991), the Ministry for Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Programme (1996) and the Ministry for the Environment’s Sustainable Land Management Strategy (1996). At the regional and local level, regional and local councils develop plans and policy statements under the Resource Management Act that are based on the principle of sustainable management. However, many of the decisions which influence the sustainability of agriculture in New Zealand are made by farmers, and linking national, regional and local government directives to actual farming practices is essential to achieving sustainable management of agricultural resources.
The granting of resource consents often involves complying with standards set by the local authorities regarding maximum irrigation water abstraction rates, maximum nitrogen loading onto land, and maximum concentration of contaminants in discharge water. Indicators are a way of:
- Showing compliance with resource consents;
- Showing that the imposed conditions are either justified or unjustified; and
- Supporting a case for change.
1.4 BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT
To the farmer:
Individual farmers can, and do, benefit from applying the principle of sustainable management to their farming practices. Farmers, to identify ways to reduce inputs such as fertiliser or electricity, or to more effectively use water to increase production, can use many of the indicators developed in this report. For farmers to maintain long-term viability, they need to address environmental and social goals as well as the financial health of their farm. Good environmental management practices ensure farmers are able to provide a continuing livelihood and way of life for themselves and future generations.
The acceptance of products in international markets is becoming increasingly dependent upon demonstrably clean and sustainable production systems. In addition, farmers now have to demonstrate sustainable management in order to comply with government policies and legislative requirements, particularly conditions placed on resource consents. By having a good monitoring and reporting system, farmers may also be able to present a strong case showing the actual environmental effect of an activity for which they have a resource consent. This could result in influencing changes to resource consent conditions that had previously been imposed based on more generalised and conservative information. Examples of this could be the nitrogen application limits for discharge consents, and maximum abstraction rates from a water supply.
To local communities:
Progress towards sustainable farming will ensure that farming communities thrive. By protecting the environment, and staying profitable, the impact on the community is far-reaching, in terms of employment, economics and community dynamics.
To the region:
The indicators identified in this project are intended to be used by farmers. Although this will not prescribe what regional councils and other regulatory authorities should monitor, the indicators have been developed in a way that the information collected may be useful for regional councils to monitor the effect of resource consents, plans and rules and for state-of-the-environment data gathering.
One of the indicator selection criteria is that the indicators can be aggregated, that is, grouped together in order to provide a picture of the entire region. Farmers will also be able to compare results, and promote the transfer of technology and ideas for improvement.
To the nation:
Agriculture and horticulture are very important aspects of New Zealand’s economy. As international standards develop a more environmentally conscious approach, markets will be more interested in receiving goods from a sustainable and environmentally conscious production system. The Resource Management Act provides a legislative framework designed to protect New Zealand’s natural and physical resources. The sustainability of agriculture will work to ensure that future generations will be able to produce goods of the quality and quantity achieved today, without degradation of valuable resources.
Contact for Enquiries
MAF Information Services
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PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
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